We Are Young
by aumontalc
Summary: Two weeks before Sam moves to Kentucky, Mercedes surprises him with some unexpected news.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first Glee fic. Please feel free to read and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of the characters.**

* * *

"Aw, hell to the no," Mercedes softly whispered. Her usual sassy remark taking on a new, deeper meaning.

Turning to Sam, she showed him the pregnancy test. "What do two lines mean?" he asked.

"It means I'm pregnant," she replied. Leaning her head against the wall, she closed her eyes. Maybe this was all a very realistic, but very terrifying dream, and she would wake up any minute. Opening her eyes again, she realized it wasn't a dream. She was standing in her parents' guest bathroom, holding a stick she had recently peed on. For further proof, all she had to do was look at her boyfriend. Sam's normally tan complexion had turned chalky white.

"You're...you're pregnant. We're pregnant. We're going to have a baby. Are we going to have the baby? I mean. Do you want to keep it?" he asked.

Mercedes bit her lip. "I don't know."

And she truly didn't. She was only 17. She only had one more year of high school left. She and Sam had only been dating for 3 months. Her plans for the future did not include a baby. At least not right away.

"Until we know what we're going to do, I don't think we should tell anyone," Sam suggested.

Mercedes shook her head in agreement. "You're right. We won't tell our parents or our friends until we've mad our decision."

Sam raked his hands through his hair, flustered. "I just don't understand how this happened."

An inappropriate giggle escaped Mercedes lips. "I think it's quite obvious _how_ it happened. We haven't exactly been practicing abstinence."

Sam blushed. "I know how babies are made, Mercedes. I just don't know how _you_ got pregnant. We've been using protection."

Mercedes shrugged. She couldn't explain how this happened. Maybe he hadn't put the condom on right. It wasn't like they had a lot of experience in such matters. They'd both been virgins until that amazing afternoon in early June. Uh, she wished she had gotten on the pill, but she wasn't ready to have that conversation with her mom. Now, it looked like there would be an even more unpleasant conversation to look forward to.

"I don't know how it happened, Sam, but it did. Now we...now I have to decide what to do."

The gravity of the situation finally struck her. She and Sam had made another life and neither were prepared to take care of it. Hell, she could barely take care of herself. Her mom still woke her up in the mornings. How could she be a parent? Having an abortion wasn't something she really wanted to do, but was it fair for a kid to be raised by a clueless teenager? There was always adoption, but what if no one wanted her baby? What if he or she was passed from foster home to foster home? What if her kid turned out like Puck? Mercedes shuddered.

"Hey, I'm here for you," Sam murmured, wrapping his arms around her.

"No. No, you won't. You're moving to Kentucky, remember?" The reality of that fact sunk in to her brain. Oh no, he was moving. Whether she kept the baby, gave it up for adoption or had an abortion, she would have to do it by herself, without help.

Sam opened then closed his mouth. "You're right. The last ten minutes made me forget."

"That's OK. I'm the one who's pregnant. I'm the one who has to decide what I'm going to do. Just me...I think you should go."

"I don't know if it's a good idea for you to be alone right now..." Sam protested.

"I'll be fine, Sam," she said softly. "I just need some time alone to think about what I want to do."

* * *

"What's going on?" Quinn asked.

Mercedes wrung her hands as she paced back and forth in Quinn's bedroom. After ten minutes of trying to decide what to do, she had decided that she'd had enough. Trying to figure things out by herself was near impossible. She needed advice. Who better to give advice than someone who had been pregnant herself?

"What's wrong? You can tell me," Quinn prompted.

Mercedes plopped down on the edge of the bed. "I'm pregnant," she whispered.

"Oh my gosh...Wow...I didn't even know you were dating anyone. Is it anyone I know?"

No one knew. She and Sam had wanted their relationship to be just about them without any gossip or unnecessary drama. Besides, if they didn't work out they didn't want to cause awkwardness for the glee club.

Choosing to ignore Quinn's inquiry, Mercedes asked a question of her own, "How did you decide? You know, what to do about the baby?"

Sighing, Quinn sat next to her on the bed. "It wasn't just one thing. At first, I had Finn's help so that was huge. I'm a Christian so it was difficult for me to imagine having an abortion. In fact, I never even really considered it."

"Weren't you scared to tell your parents?"

"I was and they took it badly. For what it's worth Mercedes, I think your parents will be supportive. They let me stay with you when I was pregnant."

"It's different when it's their daughter," she argued. "They'll be so disappointed in me."

"Maybe, but they love you and will help you. What do you think you want to do?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she replied, "I really don't know. I"m so confused. I have dreams. I have a whole future planned. One that doesn't include a toddler following me around."

"You could have an abortion or give the baby up for adoption."

"True, but part of me thinks that I should keep this baby and raise it myself. I really, really love the father. He is so...wonderful. It wasn't just an accident. I mean...it was, but sleeping with him wasn't. This little being inside of me was created out of love. I can't just ignore that."

"You could keep the baby. New Directions will always be there for you," Quinn reassured.

"I know. You guys have always been there for me. Um, speaking of glee club, can you not tell anyone that I talked to you? Until I know what I'm going to do...if I keep the baby, everyone will find out anyway. But if I don't, then I'd rather nobody know about it."

"Your secret's safe with me. No matter what choice you make. I'm by your side."

"Thanks," said Mercedes, hugging Quinn.

* * *

The next morning Sam came by to take her to The Lima Bean for their daily cup of coffee.

"How are you feeling?" he whispered as he took her hand in his own.

"Fine," she lied. She was far from OK. Last night, all she had done was toss and turn. She had no idea how she was going to decide what to do.

"I don't believe it," Sam murmured, holding the car door open for her.

After a few minutes, Mercedes noticed they weren't driving to the coffee house. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"I thought we could go to the park and talk. We'll have some privacy there."

At the park, they found a spot near a shady tree. While she spread out the blanket, Sam got his guitar out of its case. He strummed idly as they watched the geese land on the pond.

"I know you haven't decided what to do and I'm not pressuring you to hurry or anything, but I couldn't sleep last night thinking about you and our baby. I think we should have the baby and raise it ourselves."

Sam's words couldn't have shocked her more. That was the last thing she had expected him to say. "Sam...you're moving in two weeks."

"I won't. I'll stay here. Get a job. I can always find a place to crash until I have enough money to get us a place. We could get married."

Mercedes' head spun with the effort it took to take in all that he was saying. It all sounded wonderful, but real life wasn't like that. "I couldn't let you do that. Raising a kid isn't easy or cheap."

"Just think about it," Sam encouraged. "I heard this song last night. It reminds me of us."

Strumming, Sam began to sing.

_People smile and tell me I'm the lucky one,_

_And we've only just begun._

_Think I'm gonna have a son._

_He will be like she and me, as free as a dove,_

_Conceived in love._

_Sun is gonna shine above._

_And even though we ain't got money,_

_I'm so in love with you, honey,_

_And everything will bring a chain of love._

_And in the morning, when I rise,_

_You bring a tear of joy to my eyes_

_And tell me everything is gonna be alright._

_Love the girl who holds the world in a paper cup._

_Drink it up._

_Love her and she'll bring you luck._

_And if you find she helps your mind, better take her home._

_Don't you live alone._

_Try to earn what lovers own._

_And even though we ain't got money,_

_I'm so in love with you, honey,_

_And everything will bring a chain of love._

_And in the morning, when I rise,_

_You bring a tear of joy to my eyes_

_And tell me everything is gonna be alright.*_

"That's a sweet song," Mercedes admitted. "But we can't make this decision just based on how we feel about each other. Sometimes love is not enough. We have to be practical about this Sam. Do we really want to condemn our child to a life of unhappiness?"

"If we're together, we'll never be unhappy."

"Could you say that when you have to work two jobs? When you never see me or our baby? If you have to put your dreams of college aside for us?"

"I won't regret choosing you and our kid, Mercedes. I love you."

"I don't want to give you a reason to resent me."

As Sam drew nearer to comfort her, she pulled back, standing up. "This is all too much for me right now. I think we should stay away from each other until I know what I'm going to do. I'm going home now, but I'll text you when I've made my decision."

"Mercedes..." Sam protested, but by that time her back was turned and she had started walking home.

* * *

Sun shone through the windows of her bedroom. Yawning, Mercedes stretched her arms. What a beautiful day it's going to be, she thought. Slipping into her slippers, she made her way downstairs.

Laughter floated to her ears and she wondered where it was coming from. Walking into the kitchen, she saw Sam and a little boy making breakfast.

"Morning, mama," the little boy said, running over to give her a hug. "Daddy and me are making you some pancakes. Look I made mine into a mask. I'm Pancake Man," he giggled as he held up the pancake with two eye holes against his face.

"Danny...I mean Pancake Man...and I thought you might want to sleep in this morning since your concert lasted longer than expected last night. Some of the pancakes are a little burnt and the eggs are a little rubbery, but it's nothing that a little syrup can't fix."

"Thanks, honey. It's the thought that counts," she replied, smiling at her husband. Taking a bite of the eggs, she made a face. "Actually, no. These are awful. Move over and I'll make some more."

"What are our plans for today?" Mercedes asked as she cracked an egg against the skillet.

"Let go ride roller coasters!"

"That sounds fun, but your mama can't ride roller coasters right now. It's not very safe for your little brother or sister. How about we go to the park and fly kites?" Sam suggested instead, winking at Mercedes.

Danny clapped his hands. "Yay! We're going to have fun today! We'll have fun, fun, fun..."

_And we'll have fun, fun, fun now that daddy took the T-Bird away_

_(Fun, fun, fun now that daddy took the T-Bird away)_

_And we'll have fun fun fun now that daddy took the T-Bird away_

_(Fun, fun, fun now that daddy took the T-Bird away)**_

Slapping her alarm clock, Mercedes sat up. What the hell kind of dream was that?

* * *

"What is this an episode of 16 and Pregnant?" Santana complained. "That girl needs to take her kid out of here before I take him out permanently."

"Give her a break. She's doing the best she can," Mercedes admonished.

The skinny, blonde girl, no more than 19, chased her young son around the restaurant. The redheaded boy giggled mischievously as he terrorized the customers, throwing breadsticks as he ran. His mom finally caught up with him and scooped him into her arms.

"No, Mommy! No! No! No!" he screamed, kicking and flailing his arms. "I want to play."

"Donathan! You're hurting Mommy. Stop it!"

"Uh-uh, I want to play!"

"He's probably angry because he hates his name. Who names their kid Donathan?" Santana remarked snidely.

The young woman continued to wrestle with her child, becoming flustered when she noticed all the glares in her direction.

Stopping to leave money at the table, she said, "Donathan, you're being so badly we have to leave. Now, stop it!"

"No!" he yelled as he pushed the salad bowl onto the floor. "I don't want to!"

As the mother left, the other customers applauded the exit of the misbehaving toddler. Saddened by the scene, Mercedes looked down at her plate of chicken alfredo. What if that was her in a few years?

* * *

Later that night, Mercedes texted Sam.

I've made up my mind. Meet me tomorrow night at Breadstix.

* * *

*Danny's Song by Kenny Loggins

**Fun, Fun, Fun by the Beach Boys


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Please let me know what you think of this chapter as well.**

Sam walked into Breadstix holding Mercedes's hand. While scanning the room for an empty table, he accidentally caught a whiff of her sweet scent. She always smelled so good. She always looked good. When she was in his arms, she felt amazing. He would give anything to be somewhere private. It had been days since he'd seen or touched her and two weeks since they'd had sex. He groaned as images of what he'd like to do to her flooded his mind. Shaking his head, he tried to stem his inappropriate thoughts. It wasn't right to think about that. They had come here to discuss whether or not she would keep the baby.

Although he had told her he wanted to keep the baby, he was freaking out on the inside. Big time. If they kept the baby, graduating from high school would be a blip on his radar. His new goal would be to keep another human being alive 24/7. He was a little less than confident about his abilities to do so. No, he told himself. He would worry about that when the time came. Right now, he didn't even know if he was going to be a father or not.

Sliding in the booth across from his girlfriend, he smiled in her direction, hoping to reassure her. "So," he said after the waiter took their orders. "What did you decide?"

Expecting her to come right out with the answer, he was surprised when she said, "Look at that family over there. The one that isn't that much older than us."

Sam looked over in the indicated direction. He saw a couple with a toddler. The toddler was spitting his food on the floor and calling everyone that passed a "stupid boy" or "stupid girl". The parents sat like zombies eating their dinner and ignoring their child's misbehavior.

"That's us in three years," Mercedes said.

Sam chuckled. "No. No, it isn't. We're nothing like that."

"I bet they started off just like us. Hopeful for the future and wanting to make a good life for their child. Then, life happened. They got tired. They gave up."

Sam reached for Mercedes's hand. "Baby, that's them, not us. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but as long as we have each other we will be fine."

Sighing, Mercedes began, "Well, I thought about our situation. Actually, I've thought of nothing else since I found out. I don't...I don't feel right about having an abortion. It's just not for me."

Sam swallowed. Relief flooding over him, he was glad that she didn't want to do that. It would have made their lives easier to just pretend the pregnancy never happened, but easy was overrated.

"So what it came down to was do I want to give the baby up for adoption or do I want to try to raise it by myself?"

"Not by yourself, with me," Sam interjected.

Mercedes kept speaking as if she hadn't heard him. "I thought I could be selfless and give this baby a new start with a couple that has all their stuff together." Mercedes paused, tearing up. He gently squeezed her hand. "But...but I can't do that. As scared as I am that having a baby will drive us apart or keep us from our dreams or that I'll end up accidentally killing it, I still want it. Every time I think about giving the baby up for adoption, I end up in tears. I have never been more terrified in my life, but I am going to do it. I am going to have this baby and raise it."

Getting up, Sam scooted into the booth next to Mercedes. Wrapping his arms around her, he rocked her back and forth as she cried.

"It's alright, baby. Everything's going to be alright," he whispered, praying that what he said was true.

* * *

"Who knew Sam and Mercedes could cook so well? Thank you for making us dinner," Mrs. Jones said, sitting on the couch.

"I know. I'm very impressed," added Mary Evans as she and her husband followed the other couple into the living room.

"Thanks Mom and Dad, Mr. and Mrs. Evans for coming...Sam and I have something we need to tell you."

The cheerful, pleasant attitude in the room immediately left and was replaced by a sense of foreboding. Their parents knew that there was only one thing the two teenagers would have to tell them.

Biting the bullet, Sam blurted, "Mercedes and I are going to have a baby."

A firecracker of expletives flew through the air. Sam was taken aback when he realized that it came from his own mother, a normally calm and collected woman.

"I guess we need to start looking for a good adoption agency," Dr. Jones said, once things had quieted down.

"Dad...um, there's no need for that. Sam and I are going to raise the baby ourselves."

After a pause of silence, humorless laughter filled the air. "You're joking, right?" Dwight Evans asked, unbelievingly. "Sam, you are not even 17. You've got no business trying to raise a baby. Hell, at your age, you shouldn't even be having sex. And unprotected sex? That was a dumb ass move, son."

"I did use protection Dad," Sam defended. He should have known his father wouldn't be supportive. He was always like this. Sam felt like he could never catch a break.

"Let's not point fingers," Dr. Jones suggested. "What's done is done. But, Cedes, I think you need to spend a little more time thinking about your future. Don't rule out adoption just yet."

"I agree," said Mary. "Raising a child is extremely difficult."

"You will no longer get to be teenagers. All your time will go into your child. The 2 am feedings, changing diapers, constant crying. There will be no free time to live your life, to be young."

"Not to mention raising a kid is expensive. Formula and diapers alone will eat up what little money you have."

"I could breast feed," Mercedes stammered. "And we could get cloth diapers and wash them."

"Easier said than done," Mary replied.

"Amen to that," Mrs. Jones agreed. "Breastfeeding is not as easy as it looks and you will wear yourself out trying to wash cloth diapers all the time."

"I will take care of Mercedes and the baby. I'll make sure they have everything they need," Sam said.

"And how are you going to do that son?" Dwight asked. "You don't have a job. Even if you did, at best you would make minimum wage. You're being stupid. You can't afford to take care of a kid. I don't know what made you think that you could."

Sam clenched his fists in an attempt to cool his temper. His dad could get a rise out of him like no one else. He was sick and tired of his father not having any faith in him.

"The only thing you can afford is a cardboard box. Definitely not big enough for a family of three."

"Like a motel room is much better? You're not really one to talk about providing for your family." Crap, Sam thought an instant later, he shouldn't have said that. "Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

"You think you're grown? You think you can do things better than me? Fine." Standing up, Dwight motioned to his wife. "Come on, let's go. Sam's a big boy. He can fend for himself now."

"Dwight, we can't...we can't just leave him," his mother protested.

Grabbing his wife's hand, Mr. Evans replied, "Don't worry. He'll come crawling back as soon as he realizes how difficult all of this will be."

Sam stood utterly shocked as he heard the door shut. Walking quickly, he opened the door and went outside. He watched as his parents drove off, leaving him all alone.

He didn't know how long he stood there, but after a while he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. Looking down, he saw Mercedes. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her tight, not wanting to let her go. She and the baby were all he had.

"What are we going to do?" Mercedes asked.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! They're very encouraging :)**

"Hello, you must be Mercedes," said Dr. Carson, a middle aged woman with a kind face. "And this must be the father."

"Yes, this is Sam," Mercedes answered.

The doctor smiled at Sam as she washed her hands. "You two are a little nervous I can tell. There's no need to be. I'm just going to do a quick pelvic exam, some blood work, and an ultrasound if you two are up to it."

"That sounds fine," replied Mercedes.

"Now, if you'll just lie back..." instructed the doctor.

Lying back on the exam table, Mercedes reached for Sam's hand. Once he grasped it, she whispered, "Stay by my head."

This was her first visit to the gynecologist. Her mother had explained what to expect, but it still didn't make the situation any less uncomfortable. And while she was glad that Sam was with her; she kind of wished that he wasn't here for this part of the exam. It wasn't like she was a prude. He'd obviously seen her naked before, but there was nothing sexy about putting your feet in stirrups and having your hooha on display under bright fluorescent lighting.

A few awkward minutes later, the doctor lifted her head up. "Well, everything looks good down here. Let's talk for a second."

Sitting back up, Mercedes straightened her hospital gown. Sam had been so quiet throughout this whole thing. Over the past few days, she had begun to wonder if he was starting to change his mind. It was one thing to see a pregnancy test. It was a whole new ballgame to go to the doctor and get it confirmed. Mercedes hoped he wasn't going to flake out on her. That was the last thing she needed.

"You are indeed pregnant, Mercedes. Now, I wanted to talk with you about your options. It is still early enough for you to terminate the pregnancy. You can also choose to give the baby up for adoption. My clinic works with a couple of different agencies. I could get you set up with one."

Sam began to scratch his head. "Well, actually...um, the thing is...we've decided we're going to keep the baby and raise it ourselves."

A look of surprise passed across Dr. Carson's face. "Oh, I'm sorry. I just assumed. You two are so young. You're both still in high school, aren't you?"

The two teenagers nodded. Dr. Carson continued on. "Well, I have the information if you do need it. You won't have very long to change your mind about an abortion so if that's been in the back of your mind, you'll need to decide soon."

Mercedes smiled to cover the slight irritation she was feeling. Dr. Carson had chosen to completely ignore what Sam had said. "There's no need. I won't be having an abortion."

The doctor sighed reservedly. "Well, if you do change your mind..."

"I think my girlfriend has made it quite clear that she's not going to do that. Now, don't you have to tell us about what foods she can and can't eat, the vitamins she needs to take? Stuff like that?"

As Mercedes attention zoomed in and out during Dr. Carson's nutrition spiel, she couldn't help but be relieved by Sam's quick defense of her. All of this was so overwhelming. Did he feel overwhelmed too?

* * *

Sam lay next to Mercedes, looking up at the sonogram he was holding in his hand. He didn't know why but he was so mesmerized by it, but he was. In the midst of all the swirliness, rested his and Mercedes' child. Sam was astounded by how incredibly tiny the baby was. That that dot right there was his kid.

"Pretty amazing, isn't it?" asked Mercedes as she snuggled close to him. "You learn all about this in school, but it's so much different when it's happening to you. I mean I'm growing another human inside of me. Part of me finds it really scary, but the other part thinks it's kind of cool."

"Yeah," Sam agreed.

Propping up on her elbow, Mercedes looked at him. "Hey, what's going on? You've been awfully quiet all day long."

"Nothing. I'm fine."

"Are you regretting our decision to keep the baby?"

Sam turned over to face her, concern in his expression. "No, why would you say that?"

"I'm just being realistic. This can't be easy for you. Your parents haven't talked to you in over a week. My parents keep dropping hints about adoption. Heck, even the OB/GYN made it sound like we should consider other options. No one is supporting our choice."

"Hey, we've got each other," Sam reassured as he smoothed Mercedes hair back. "I'm here. I'm not going to leave."

"I know you said that, but if you want to change your mind, I'll understand. It's got to be hard not having your parents behind you in this."

Sam couldn't lie. It was hard. Nothing about this pregnancy was easy. It almost seemed like everyone was against them. Of course, knowing that his parents had turned their back on him was the worst part. Fortunately, the Joneses had been kind enough to let him stay at their house, but it didn't make him feel any better about the situation. This wasn't his home. They had their own family to take care of. They didn't need to worry about feeding and clothing him too. Hopefully with his new job at Breadstix, he could help chip in for rent and food and stuff.

"I can't say that I'm not hurt by the way they're acting, but you know maybe it's for the best. They're still planning on moving to Kentucky. Who knows? They might not have let me stay if they'd hadn't kicked me out of their lives. Then, I'd have an even bigger problem on my hands, because I couldn't just leave you and our baby."

Tears began to slip down Mercedes' cheeks. Taking his thumb, Sam gently wiped them away. "I just feel so guilty," Mercedes confessed. "Our lives are changing so much and so fast. And even though my parents aren't happy. They're still standing by me. I'm so sorry that your parents aren't doing the same. I just feel like this is all my fault."

Sam gently kissed her and rubbed his hand in circles on her back. "Hush, now. This isn't your fault. I don't want to hear you talking like that again."

"I'm sorry," Mercedes sobbed. "I just can't help it. I feel like all I do is worry."

Taking the sonogram, Sam held it in front of her. "Look, whenever you worry, I want you to stare at this picture. I want you to think about our baby and visualize the future you want to have for him or her. Before a football game, Coach Beiste has us close our eyes and run through and visualize different plays. It really helps. I think it can help us too. Keep our eyes on the prize."

Mercedes sniffled, "Will you help me? When I can't focus on the end result? When I can't keep my eyes on the prize, will you help me remember?"

Squeezing her tight, Sam murmured, "Of course, that's what I'm here for."


End file.
